Development and validation of new anxiety and bipolar symptom scales for an expanded version of the IDAS (the IDAS-II)

Abstract

The original Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS) contains 11 nonoverlapping scales assessing specific depression and anxiety symptoms. In creating the expanded version of the IDAS (the IDAS-II), our goal was to create new scales assessing other important aspects of the anxiety disorders as well as key symptoms of bipolar disorder. Factor analyses of the IDAS-II item pool led to the creation of seven new scales (Traumatic Avoidance, Checking, Ordering, Cleaning, Claustrophobia, Mania, Euphoria) plus an expanded version of Social Anxiety. These scales are internally consistent and show strong convergent and significant discriminant validity in relation to other self-report and interview-based measures of anxiety, depression, and mania. Furthermore, the scales demonstrate substantial criterion and incremental validity in relation to interview-based measures of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) symptoms and disorders. Thus, the expanded IDAS-II now assesses a broad range of depression, anxiety, and bipolar symptoms.